President Rumen Radev, who is taking part today in the Jewish Cultural Center in Sofia in the opening of the “Remembered for Good” initiative, created on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews, has stated We are obliged to keep and pass on through the generations the covenant of our ancestors who saved the Bulgarian Jews. Even in the darkest period of human history, our people have achieved the victory of humanity, solidarity and courage, which still build the fabric of Bulgarian society.
The aim of the initiative, which will take place under the patronage of President Radev, is to promote the names of twenty Bulgarian personalities who have contributed to the salvation of Bulgarian Jews and recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by the Yad Vashem International Holocaust Remembrance Institute in Jerusalem. .
The President highlighted the initiative as extremely important for our memory as a nation and society.
“We are obliged to keep not only the memory of the events, but also the strong bond between all Bulgarian citizens in those times, regardless of their nationality and ethnicity. Then all Bulgarians stood before their neighbors, friends, colleagues and fellow citizens in the name of the most the highest human value – life “, said the head of state.
According to him, these memories still give us strength and confidence to build a prosperous and strong civil society.
“The language of hatred, xenophobia and anti-Semitism in Bulgaria has no roots and no future, thanks to what our ancestors did, which we must pass down through the generations,” the head of state stressed.
“I am convinced that our Jewish community will continue to be strongly integrated into Bulgarian society, to be full in all spheres of social, economic and cultural life,” Radev said.
The President noted the efforts and commitment of the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria “Shalom”, which hosts the event, and its public activities in the fields of education and charity.
For centuries, tolerance and respect for different ethnic groups and religions have been among the brightest virtues of the Bulgarian people. These qualities of the Bulgarians were most evident in the dark years of World War II, when our country managed to save its Jewish community from destruction and to help many others flee from Nazi-occupied Europe.
A new scientific study reveals the essential role of the Bulgarian Army in the processes related to the rescue of Bulgarian citizens of Jewish origin during the Second World War. The book was presented at the Ministry of Defense on September 30 by its author, Prof. Dimitar Nedyalkov, to the Minister of Defense, Georgi Panayotov, and representatives of the political and military leadership.
“Tens of thousands of Bulgarian Jews have been saved, thanks to the efforts of Bulgarian politicians, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian people. Now, thanks to this study, we have another participant in this noble cause – the Bulgarian Army “, said the Minister of Defense Georgi Panayotov at a short ceremony at the Ministry of Defense, where the author of the book donated part of its circulation for wider distribution. this scientific truth also among the military formations and structures of the ministry.
“This book is part of the struggle for truth. The salvation of the Bulgarian Jews has a systemic character: in it we have the will of a nation, a church, organizations. But in the end, the work was done by the Bulgarian state with a major tool in this (as I found in my research) the Bulgarian army, which we can be proud of, “said Prof. Col. Prof. Dimitar Nedyalkov
The book is the result of two years of research efforts by O.R. Colonel Prof. Dimitar Nedyalkov. There is already great interest in it in the European Parliament, the United States, the State of Israel and among various organizations. “The world needs to know what Bulgaria has done. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to save the Jews on the territory of Aegean Thrace and Macedonia, which in no way belittles the feat done by the Bulgarian people, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Bulgarian politicians and the Bulgarian Army,” he said. Georgi Panayotov.
The Ministry of Defense will support the distribution of the book, as well as the creation of a documentary film by the Information Center, dedicated to the role of the Bulgarian Army in these processes.
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The book “The Bulgarian Army and the Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews 1941 – 1944” is an attempt at a comprehensive analysis of the dramatic events of World War II, the ultimate and only result of which is the rescue of tens of thousands of Bulgarian and foreign citizens of Jewish origin. The uniqueness of this highly humane act is complemented by the fact confirmed by archival documents – the main “tool” for their rescue is the valiant Bulgarian army and the labor formations assigned to it.
